Apparatus for trimming the ends off vegetables

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for trimming the ends off of vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, zucchini and the like, This apparatus employs an endless conveyor provided with trays for receiving the vegetables. The trays are attached to the conveyor by pivoting means and extend transversely to the direction of travel of the conveyor. Spaced rails are provided for holding the trays in horizontal position while they pass through the loading station at which the vegetables are placed thereon. The trays are then moved through two end trimming zones. In the first zone the guide rails tilt the trays in one direction so that the vegetables slide downward in the trays toward a cutting knife which cuts off the lower ends of the vegetables as they are moved forward. When the trays are moved into the second trimming zone the guide rails tilt the trays in the opposite direction so that the vegetables slide downward in this direction toward a cutting knife which cuts off the other ends of the vegetables. Vibrating means is provided for shaking the trays while they are passing through the trimming zones so that the vegetables slide downward in the trays toward the cutting means.

United States Patent 91 Goodale [111 3,738,258 June 12, 1973 APPARATUSFOR TRIMMING THE ENDS OFF VEGETABLES [76] Inventor: Richard J. Goodale,PO. Box 268,

Watsonville, Calif. 95076 [22] Filed: Sept. 17, 1971 [21] Appl. No.:181,323

Primary Examiner-Willie G. Abercrombie Attorney-Allen & Chromy [57]ABSTRACT An apparatus for trimming the ends off of vegetables such ascarrots, parsnips, zucchini and the like, This apparatus employs anendless conveyor provided with trays for receiving the vegetables. Thetrays are attached to the conveyor by pivoting means and extendtransverselyto the direction of travel of the conveyor. Spaced rails areprovided for holding the trays in horizontal position while they passthrough the loading station at which the vegetables are placed thereon.The trays are then moved through two end trimming zones. in the firstzone the guide rails tilt the trays in one direction so that thevegetables slide downward in the trays toward a cutting knife which cutsoff the lower ends of the vegetables as they are moved forward. When thetrays are moved into the second trimming zone the guide rails tilt thetrays in the opposite direction so that the vegetables slide downward inthis direction toward a cutting knife which cuts off the other ends ofthe vegetables. Vibrating means is provided for shaking the trays whilethey are passing through the trimming zones so that the vegetables slidedownward in the trays toward the cutting means.

1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures \R e a r *2 APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING THE ENDSOFF VEGETABLES DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to anapparatus for trimming both the top and bottom ends of vegetables suchas carrots, parsnips, zucchini and the like.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus fortrimming the top and bottom ends off of vegetables in an economical andreliable manner.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus fortrimming vegetables, said apparatus being provided with a plurality ofvegetablecarrying trays which are first tilted in one direction and thenin the other to trim the opposite ends of the vegetables.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improvedvegetable trimming apparatus in which the vegetables are placed on traysthat are tilted and vibrated when they pass through the trimming zonesso that the vegetables slide downward in the trays into the trimmingapparatus.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art to which it relates from the following specification,claims and drawing.

In accordance with this invention there is provided an improvedvegetable trimming apparatus that is economical to manufacture andreliable in operation. This apparatus is provided with an endlessconveyor and a plurality of trays that extend across the conveyor andare pivotally attached thereto. Spaced guide rails are provided to theapparatus for holding the trays insubstantially horizontal positionswhile the vegetables are being placed thereon. The apparatus is providedwith two trimming zones in which the ends of the vegetables are trimmed.The guide rails are shaped so that the trays are tilted first in onedirection and then in the other direction as they are passing throughthe trimming zones. Thus, the vegetables slide downward in the traystoward the knife in the first trimming zone and one end thereof istrimmed therefrom. After the vegetables are moved through the firsttrimming zone the trays are tilted in the opposite direction while thevegetables are carried through the second trimming zone in which theother end is trimmed from each vegetable. The trimming zones areprovided with means for shaking the trays as they pass through thesezones so that the vegetables slide downward in the tilted trays and theends of the vegetables engage the fixed trimming devices which aresupported by the frame of the apparatus adjacent to the ends of thetilted trays.

Further details and features of this invention will be set forth in thefollowing specification, claims and drawing in which, briefly:

FIG. 1 is a side view partially broken away showing an embodiment ofthis apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a detail view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing theknife employed in each of the trimming zones;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 showing the secondtrimming zone;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3 showing themeans for shaking the tilted tray as it passes through the trimmingzone; and

FIG. 5 is a top view partially broken away of one of the trimming zones.

Referring to the drawing in detail reference numeral 10 designates theframe of this apparatus which is made of a plurality of structuralmembers welded together. Sprockets l1 and 12 are provided to thisapparatus and these sprockets are supported by shafts 13 and 14,respectively, in bearings 15 and 16 that are attached to the endstructural members of the frame. An endless conveyor 17 is carriedaround the sprockets 11 and 12 and one of these sprockets is driven byan electric motor (not shown) for moving the conveyor. Trays 18 whichmay be made of plastic, metal, wood or the like, are pivotally attachedto the conveyor 17 at spaced points. Each of the trays 18 is attached toa rib 19 that is of substantially the same length as the tray. Each rib19 is attached by welding or the like to a pivoting member 20 as shownin FIG. 4. The ends of the pivoting member 20 are journaled in theU-shaped member 21 as shown in this figure. Each U-shaped member 21 isattached to a link of the conveyor 17.

As the conveyor 17 is moved between the sprockets l l and 12 the upperpart thereof is supported on a substantially square member 22 that ispositioned between the angle iron members 23 and 24. The bottom part ofthe conveyor is kept from sagging excessively by the roller 10a which isrotatably supported by the frame. Members 22, 23 and 24 are attached tothe top of the inverted channel iron member 25 that is attached to crossmembers of the frame 10 by welding or the like. Guide rails 26 and 27engaging the end portions of the rails 19 are attached to the structuralmembers of the frame 10 by brackets 28 and 29, respectively, which arewelded thereto and to the frame. These guide rails 26 and 27 need to beprovided only in the tilting trimming zones in which thevegetable-carrying trays 18 are tilted, first in one direction and thenin the other as shown in FIG. 1.

In the right hand end of the apparatus which is the loading zone, thetrays 18 are substantially horizontal and pass between the angle members30 and 31. At the right hand end of the apparatus vegetables 32 aresupplied thereto by the conveyor 33. The feeding conveyor 33 may be ofthe V-shape type providing a single file of vegetables to the trays 18after they pass upward over the sprocket 12 under the conveyor. Thetrimming zones are located on opposite sides of the apparatus and atthese zones the trays 18 are tilted by the guide rails 26 and 27 firstin one direction and then in the other. At each zone there is provided atrimming knife such as the knife 34 shown in FIG. 2. This knife isattached by bolts 35 to the member 36 which is attached by bolts 37 tothe frame 10.

When the trays 18 are moved by the conveyor 17 through the trimmingzones these trays are vibrated up and down by the ribs 38 that arewelded across the top of the member 22 at spaced points as shown in FIG.4. This provides a shaking action to the trays and causes the vegetables32 to slide down in the trays until the lower ends thereof abut theplate 39 which is supported by the frame 10 by bracket 39a. Thus as theconveyor moves the trays 18 in the direction indicated by the arrows theends 32a of the vegetables 32 are severed therefrom as shown in FIG. 5.Thereafter, as the conveyor moves forward the cut ends of the vegetablesengage the plate 40 which is supported by bracket 40a. The brackets 39aand 40a supporting the plates 39 and 40 on the frame are adjustable withrespect to the ends of the trays. Thus by adjusting the plate 39 theamount of the end portion of the vegetables that is to be cut off can beadjusted.

As the conveyor continues the forward motion the trays 18 are tilted inthe opposite direction by the guide rails 26 and 27 so that thevegetables slide downward in the trays 18 in the opposite direction andthe other ends of the vegetables are presented to the cutting knife inthe second trimming zone. The second trimming zone is also provided withthe trimming knife such as knife 34 and guide plates such as plates 39and 40 which engage the end of the vegetable prior to an after trimmingrespectively in the same manner as in the first trimming zone. Thesecond trimming zone is also provided with tray vibrating or shakingmeans such as the rods 38 shown in FIG. 4. The rods 38 are weldedtransversely across the member 22 at predetermined spacings and thewelds provide inclined sides over which the conveyor links slide as thetray supporting means is moved thereacross and vibrating or shakingaction is provided to the trays.

Flexible rotatable members 41 of rubber, or the like, are provided ateach of the trimming zones as shown in FIG. 3 for applying lightpressure on the top of the vegetable while the vegetable is beingtrimmed by the knife. The rubber member 41 is similar to an inner tubeof an automobile tire inflated with air. It is attached to discs 42 bysuitable cement and the discs are attached to the shaft 44 which isrotatably supported by the frame members b and 10c.

The trimmed vegetables are dumped from the trays 18 as these trays passover the sprocket 1 l and the tray guiding discs lla that are attachedto the shaft 13 on the opposite sides of the sprocket 11.

While I have shown and described a preferred form of the invention, itwill be apparent that the invention is capable of variation andmodification from the form shown so that the scope thereof shouldbelimited only by the proper scope of the ,claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for trimming the opposite ends off vegetables such ascarrots, parsnips, zucchinni, and the like, the combination of a frame,a conveyor, said frame having means supporting said conveyor, meansmoving said conveyor, a plurality of vegetable carrying trays, meanspivotally attaching said trays to said conveyor at spaced points, afirst trimming zone and a second trimming zone, said trimming zonespositioned on opposite sides of said conveyor, means tilting said traysin one direction as said trays are moved through said first trimmingzone so that the vegetables slide down said tilted trays, means engagingthe lower ends of the vegetables in said tilted trays limiting thedownward slide of said vegetables, means trimming said lower ends ofsaid vegetables while they engage said limiting means, means titlingsaid trays as they are moved through said second trimming zone so thatthe other ends of the vegetables in said trays are lowermost, meansengaging said other ends of the vegetables in the titled trays limitingthe downward slide thereof in said second zone and means in said secondzone trimming said other ends of said vegetables, said conveyorsupporting means comprising a member attached to said frame, saidconveyor slidably engaging said member, cross members attached to thetop of said member at spaced points wherein the conveyor, upon engagingsaid cross members, moves up and down resulting in bouncing of saidtrays while they are moved through said first and second trimming zoneswhereby downward sliding of said vegetables in the tilted trays isfacilitated.

1. In an apparatus for trimming the opposite ends off vegetables such ascarrots, parsnips, zucchinni, and the like, the combination of a frame,a conveyor, said frame having means supporting said conveyor, meansmoving said conveyor, a plurality of vegetable carrying trays, meanspivotally attaching said trays to said conveyor at spaced points, afirst trimming zone and a second trimming zone, said trimming zonespositioned on opposite sides of said conveyor, means tilting said traysin one direction as said trays are moved through said first trimmingzone so that the vegetables slide down said tilted trays, means engagingthe lower ends of the vegetables in said tilted trays limiting thedownward slide of said vegetables, means trimming said lower ends ofsaid vegetables while they engage said limiting means, means titlingsaid trays as they are moved through said second trimming zone so thatthe other ends of the vegetables in said trays are lowermost, meansengaging said other ends of the vegetables in the titled trays limitingthe downward slide thereof in said second zone and means in said secondzone trimming said other ends of said vegetables, said conveyorsupporting means comprising a member attached to said frame, saidconveyor slidably engaging said member, cross members attached to thetop of said member at spaced points wherein the conveyor, upon engagingsaid cross members, moves up and down resulting in bouncing of saidtrays while they are moved through said first and second trimming zoneswhereby downwaRd sliding of said vegetables in the tilted trays isfacilitated.